but also in establishing an environment conducive to objective technical and economic research. and protecting the people in the trenches from political and appearance. part of his legacy lives on in the form of the annual telecommunications policy research conference. pprc brings together a diverse interdisciplinary international group of researchers from academia, industry, government, and nonprofit organizations to challenge each other's ideas and research resourcults. the first in a series of annual conferences was organized in 1972. it usually held its anniversary last december. it is one of the premier if not the premier conferences on telecommunications internationally and domestically. it was instrument in the creation of the conference. tom was entry mental and getting the early funding for the conference -- influential and getting the early funding for the conference. tom and i shared an interest in 6 amateur radio. we both received our amateur radio licenses and call signs from the federal communication commissioners -- commission and our early teens. i communicated w